Help Please? I Need Advice And Opinions!?
November 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
Here, let me just state a few facts before I start the story.
-I’m a 13 year old girl.
-Less than a week ago, my neighbor’s gave me an 8 week old Italian Greyhound puppy.
-The puppy’s name is Mickey.
Ok then, let’s start the story.
Well, my neighbor’s dog had a litter of puppies. After convincing my dad, I was allowed to get one. The only catch was that I had to care for the dog all by myself. My little sister, however (she’s 11) wanted it to be her dog too, so she volunteered to help a bit. I got the dog less than a week ago. (About 4 days ago.) Well, caring for Mickey has taken quite a lot of time from me, leaving me almost no free time every day. Sure, my sister helps a bit, but it doesn’t make much of a difference. Mickey isn’t house trained, so accidents happen. He soils his crate every night, so I have to clean it out in the morning. I just have no time to hang out with my friends, or even go on the computer! (He’s napping now.)
Mickey’s taking over my social life. My dad said that if I start slacking off, he’s giving Mickey back to my neighbors. The neighbors said they would be fine with it if I decided I couldn’t handle Mickey, but I don’t want to give him up.
I love Mickey, but school’s starting in a few days, and I’m going to be a lot busier in the mornings getting ready, and busier in the afternoons with homework. I want to be able to keep up my grades up, hang out with my friends, and keep Mickey, but it just doesn’t seem possible. Caring for a puppy isn’t easy, and now I realize that.
Thank you if you took the time to read that. So does anybody have any advice? (And does anybody know how to get Mickey to stop using the bathroom in his crate during the night?)
Related posts:
That’s the problem with teenagers wanting to get a puppy like babies they take a huge part of your life i have a dog but if my girls want a dog when older they wont be getting 1
Honest answer from what you have stated i don’t think the puppy is for you ,when i got my dog and im an adult i realized the commitment that i had taken on and with 3 children its tough but i can handle that
if you think its going to stop you doing the things you want give the puppy back
You should use your time more wisely and tell your sister to pitch in a little more about 50/50.
About your crate problem you should put some potty pads when he is about to go to bed or don’t feed him as much food at night.
Good Luck!
Your Mickey is still a puppy and as with human babies housebreaking like weaning out of diapers takes time. I feel your parents are wrong putting the entire responsibility on you for the housebreaking of the dog. A 13 year old can only do so much. It should be the responsibility of the whole family to help this puppy become a full trusted member of the family.
You might try putting a bell around her neck at night. That way when she is thinking about peeing she will start moving around her bell will ring and maybe give you some time to get her outside before she soils her crate. It takes time to housebreak a dog but hang in there, it does happen. Greyhounds are very loving dogs. Be kind to her.
STOP WHINING ABOUT NOT HAVING TIME FOR YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS AND YOUR LITTTLE COMPUTER. YOU WANTED THE DOG RIGHT?? WELL NOW YOU HAVE AND IT WON’T BE EASY. YOU SHOULD’VE THOUGH ABOUT ALL YOUR DILEMMAS BEFORE GETTING HIM.
Now you’ll need to sacrifice your little social life and computer and DEDICATE as much time as you can in house training/crate training your dog.
This is why I always tell little kids like you to not try to get a dog or convince their parents into getting them one. THEY NEED LOTS OF TIME. NOW BE RESPONSIBLE AND DEAL WITH IT IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE PUP.
Did you learn your lesson? I hope so. A puppy is not a TOY!
You’ll probably spend months even a year training him. Sounds fun?? Not really right. But you wanted it so heyy…now suck it up and find ways
Crate Training: PRO
Crate training helps tremendously in potty training puppies and adult dogs.
Your dog can be confined when it is necessary, without undue stress on the dog or serious wear and tear on your home.
If your dog ever has to be left at a veterinarian’s office, travel on an airplane, or be evacuated from your home, being in a crate then will be far less stressful if he is already crate-trained.
It’s a nice way to include a puppy in what is going on without your having to tend him constantly, for example, if you are giving a party.
Many dogs will seek out their crates to relax in.
Crate Training: CON
SIRIUS PUPPY TRAINING DVD
Our best selling video! Fun to watch, easy to use techniques especially for young puppies. Problem prevention and training information for kids and ad
Dogwise.Com
Dog Aggression Problems?
End Dog Aggression with our cutting-edge dog training package. Guaranteed.
Read how other dog owners solved their problems.
Ad Box Pro
It may take some time to get your dog accustomed to being left in the dog crate, and you will need another way to confine him so you don’t push the crate training too fast.
Some people might leave their dogs in the crates too much. How much is too much? It depends on the dog and situation.
Crate training isn’t suitable for some dogs. For example, a dog who has spent a lot of time in crates or cages (in a shelter or at a previous owner’s) may become very upset. You may or may not be able to overcome this with patient training.
Dogs with separation anxiety may become more upset in a crate than in a larger space.
A strong, frantic dog can get out of most crates, perhaps hurting himself in the process.
Some people just hate the idea of confining their dogs this way. Learning more about crate training often overcomes this dislike, but if you find that it doesn’t for you, then use alternatives to crates.
A Basic Crate Training Method
First, of course, you need a crate… For a page on how to choose a crate and a dog bed for it, click here.
Select a good location for the crate — or more than one location. In your bedroom is good at night, but while you are home during the day, it’s best to have the crate near where people will be. Either move the crate around, or some people have two crates. Don’t put the crate where sunlight coming in from a window will make the air hot for the dog or force him to be in the sun.
Tie the door open, or even take it off at first. Let the dog notice the crate and examine it if he wishes.
Bit by bit, make it more interesting. Throw toys or treats in. Talk lovingly to him if he goes in. Pet him while he is in the crate.
Begin feeding the dog in the crate. When he is comfortable going in (and this can be anything from an hour to several weeks), then begin closing the door for very short periods of time while you are right there.
If he whines to get out, don’t let him out and don’t sweet-talk him until there is a moment when he isn’t whining. Just wait till he is quiet. Then you can let him out. If you let him out while he is whining, you are teaching him that whining works with you.
With each of the steps, pay attention to what the dog indicates about his feelings. Crate training is most effective when it isn’t rushed. If he is uncomfortable at a particular step, back up to a previous one.
Once he accepts the door closed while you are there, begin going elsewhere in your home and gradually lengthening the time you are gone. Having toys in the crate is useful here.
Then leave the house for a very short time and come back, working up to leaving for longer time.
Close the dog in at bedtime and let it out first thing in the morning. But once the dog behaves without being locked in at night, leave the door open or remove it from the crate (unless you are using it during the day sometimes) and keep it nearby. If you are housetraining a young puppy, you will probably be going outside with it in the middle of the night for a while.
And that — in a nutshell — is that!
Crate Training Tips
Never put the dog into the crate as punishment. You want the dog to think of it in a happy way.
You have to go back to work and your new puppy or dog still isn’t completely crate-trained or reliable when loose in the house. What to do? Create an alternative space for a while (see below), or crate the dog and ask a friend or neighbor to come by several times during the day, either as a favor or for pay, to let the dog out for a while. Or hire a pet sitter.
Be sure to leave some toys or treats with the dog. I’ve d
To be honest – No child of 13 should be left as solely responsible for the life of a little puppy, and if you think he takes all of your social time now, then he will be continuing to do that for the next 10 yrs or so.
Please step back and decide, for the sake of the puppy as to whether you want to do this for the next 10 yrs.
If your parents are not going to be doing a lot to help with this dog then maybe it is better that he goes back to the neighbour and they find him a home where someone can spend time with him.
You are making an understatement when you say caring for a puppy is not easy.
I have personally been raising, owning, training,handling and doing so professionally for nearly forty years now.
Rules to live by:
-housebreak a puppy in less than a week when all members of the family take shifts as in just like any child it needs to go potty whenever it wakes up, finishes eating, done playing, before bed, when it gets scolded, and more….24 hr shifts taking it out to the same place every time and leaving only that bit that was there from the time before so it knows to go in one place as well as being sure to let it walk out with you and you stay with it until it goes as the temperature changes take a minute to adjust to for comfort to go…
Also trust me the pup doesnt want to go in his crate because a dog will not mess where it lives and eats just as you wouldn’t but until he is housebroken he will do so….if family wont help get up every hour and a half to two hours and take him/her out.
By the way…your choice in breed if in fact it is a well bred one is superb and you will have a loyal, loving, devoted and yes they can be highly protective also, canine.
For whatever time it takes now will pay off in many happy years.
Rule: get the animal spayed or nuetered as soon as possible…for health reasons and due to overpopulation. In reality your best and true breeders never breed until the animal is sold…as in sold before concieved.
As far as time with friends… well fine and dandy but this is your best friend in the world you are talking about…and it is your duty to allow it to be so.
Rule: do not walk your puppy from the house for the first four months to one year that you actually begin walking it…..the animal must know only being taken away in a vehicle or carried and then walked back on his own feet so it knows coming home only of its own accord…trust me it works.
Rule: association with anyone outside of the family for four months as in no eye contact with anyone but family for four months will assure a stable canine ready to be socialized at six to seven months……if ya really need to know more have your parents contact me or at least we will make sure they know we are in contact regarding this life experience you have taken on…
Good Luck
rwbrignone@yahoo.com.sg
This question should be required reading for every kid wanting to know how to convince his or her parents to get a dog. Where you’re lucky is that the neighbors will take him back, and this is what you do. He’s still a little puppy and they’ll have an easier time finding a home for him.
There are tips about crate training that might help, but the bigger issue here is that your family, and especially you, are not ready for a dog. It’s really in his best interest to go back to your neighbors. This is also on your parents, because the worst time to get a puppy is when school starts.
I think you are a very caring and strong person for taking on this responsibility. I understand raising a new puppy is frustrating, but I encourage you to stick with it.
Here’s why:
1. It will be a great experience for you to bond with your dog.
2. So many dogs are losing their homes right now due to the economy & Mickey is very fortunate to have a loving family.
3. If you give Mickey back, your dad might view this as your lack of ability to commit to something – which could jeopardize future opportunities.
4. Puppies grow up and once you get past the house training, he will surely be a great dog for you to grow with.
5. You can even have your friends take Mickey on walks with you or to the park. This way you can double duty hanging out & puppy care!
*Also, check out dog obedience classes at your local pet store or through your vet’s office. Good luck!
You should search for house training techniques on line. Once your pup is potty trained, it will leave you with a lot of free time. Also, go on the Dog Whisperer site, he has lots of tips for puppy owners and will help you get started with training. Puppies sleep a lot (like human babies) so you will have time. However, you should probably wake up earlier than usual to allow time to care for your new pet’s needs. Your pup will need play time with you, but don’t get into the habit of putting her into her crate beause you want some free time, it’s not fair to the pup who needs to be socialized and taught manners by you. If this is all too much for you to handle, then you are better off giving her back and letting them find owners who will take the time to train her. Good luck.
Welcome to the real world of responsible dog ownership!
If you want to keep your dog then you need to organise yourself so your grades don’t fall and you can do all the things you would like to do…………however I have to say your dog has needs that have to come first, like toilet training ( lots of good advise on the internet) however basically aftet eating, waking and playing and possibly every hour or so outside wait quietly until our pup goes and praise, training, lead walking, feeding, grooming etc and millions of people do it and have a social life, go to work or school, so it can be done…………what I can tell you is that if you put the time in now and for the next 6 months then your dog will fit into your life without issues, however you are fed up after 4 days, so maybe your Dad is right!
sorry to say that…but taking care of a puppy is a 24/7 job. i wish all those kids who asked “how can i convince my parents to get me a puppy” will read your post and realized how much work it is to take care of a puppy.
to be honest, if you parents aren’t going to help you out, you then either suck it up or better yet give it back to your neighbour. there’s no way for you to hang out with you friends and taking care of a puppy at the same time. a puppy or even a grown up dog needs a lot of care and love from the owner. and not to mention a greyhound is quite active which require a lot of exercises (for example, walks).
me and my husband indeed took 3 weeks off from work to take care of our puppy when we first got him. we set out alarm clock and woke up every 2 hours in the middle of the night to bring him out to pee. we did our research and started educating ourselves on puppy/dog care 1 yr prior we are getting our puppy. we were well-prepared but still getting frustrated and fed up when the puppy was here; so…not to mention that you do not have any knowledge about dogs….it’s definitely hard.
again, i’d suggest you to give it back to your neighbour and just play with him whenever you have time. or just do dog-sitting whenever needed.
Lol!!!! Start training that thing!!
You have to take Mickey outside to pee and poo every hour during the day and also night time.
He is a baby, he cannot hold his pee and poo. So he poos in his crate because you have not let him out. He needs to go out at night too.
And this is going to be how it is for the first year before he is totally house trained. There is no other way.
When you go to school, who is going to look after him and let him out? Because you cannot lock him in a crate all day. No dog/puppy should be in a crate more than 2-3 hours in total and in that time someone should come in and let him out, if no one is home.
When you are at home don’t crate mickey as he has to be around you. Crate is only meant for bedtime, feeding, napping, relaxing and play or just a chill out place for him.
I got my dog, Duke (which is a sheltie/beagle mix) when he was 6 wks old (now he’s almost 2 yrs old). Don’t keep your puppy in a crate at night. Buy puppy training pads. They helped me train Duke. The only time I ever put Duke in his crate was when I left. Then as soon, and I do mean as soon as I got home, I didn’t even let his paws hit the floor, I took him directly outside to go potty. When you are home, take him outside every 30 minutes and then gradually every 45 min, then every hour until he’s got the hang of it. Back to the puppy pad thing. What I did, when Duke went to pee outside, i took the puppy pad, very lightly, kinda rub it on the pee…not hard or anything, just to get the scent of the pee on there. And then set the puppy pad inside and that will let Mickey know its ok to go potty on the pads. Hope this helps!